5MAY

Hatching A Plan For Urban Chickens

There have been many questions, as well as misconceptions, about Chattanooga allowing chickens in residential areas. I want to make sure all citizens have the facts, so I compiled this list of frequently asked questions. Please contact me if you have questions or comments that aren’t covered here.

Why do we need to legalize urban chickens?

There are many in our community who wish to know the comforts of eating fresh eggs, controlling their own food supply, and having new pets in their family. Chickens are known to be a welcome addition to many residential areas around the United States, whether they be in rural, suburban, or urban areas. Many cities are embracing this movement, all with certain restrictions and safeguards that protect their communities from the uncertainties of a new public policy.

Will the addition of chickens make my neighborhood louder?

Hens are generally very quiet. For the few moments after an egg is laid, they may reach a decibel level similar to a quiet human conversation or a standard electric razor. Both a barking dog or moderate street traffic are much louder.

Will the chickens or their waste have a strong odor?

An average dog will produce 12 oz of waste per day. An average hen will produce just 1.5 oz per day. That means that it would take eight hens to equal the amount of waste produced by just one dog.

24MARCH

Moving Forward

Every morning, I have pretty much the same routine: Get out of bed. Take the dogs downstairs and let them out. Scan email. Read all of the local news websites to see what might be of interest.

Over the last few weeks, I have added one item to that: see if any shootings occurred last night. It has become part of my mornings. I read about gunfire from the night before almost every morning; roughly half the time, they are in my district. The time for dealing with violent crime in our city is now. We have to move from talking about the problem to doing something about it.

Last Thursday, I was amazed by Mayor-elect Andy Berke and the turnout at his crime forum at TTU. He has seamlessly made the transition from candidate to mayor, with still three weeks before we are sworn into office. Mayor-elect Berke assembled a group of citizens who demonstrated racial, economic, & geographic diversity. It was a room of people I had never seen assembled together in one place. It looked like Chattanooga.

13JANUARY

International Brotherhood of Police Officers Endorsement

I’m so honored to receive the official support and endorsement of local police officers from the International Brotherhood of Police Officers L.U. 673. The organization, made-up entirely of Chattanooga-area police officers, is committed to protecting Chattanoogans by ensuring that public safety comes first. These individuals are heroes of the highest caliber, putting their life at risk each day to ensure that our communities are safe.